A few home truths?
by Storybookgirl77
Summary: Set in London when Gerry and Steve are helping Glasgow UCOS. Brian is off sick, Sandra and Jack have been left in London. Can Esther help the team see what is blindingly obvious to the rest of the world? What was going on in UCOS London when Steve and Gerry were away?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer. I do not own New Tricks. BBC and Wall to Wall own all. No copyright infringement intended nor should be inferred. **

**This is set in series 9 when Steve and Gerry went to Glasgow. So no Sasha, Dan or Ted.**

**1\. Facts**

"I told Steve you have the flu. Now stop worrying about work." Esther smiled as the doorbell rang. She knew Jack and Sandra would be rushed off their feet with three detectives missing. What she didn't want was Brian rushing back to work. It was bad enough getting him to admit he was unwell in the first place. The man seemed to think he was invincible, that there was no way UCOS would survive if he wasn't there. What he didn't seem to realise is that he risked passing the flu over to everyone else on the team.

"Brian. You are ill." He sneezed as she spoke. Moments later she was answering the door to Jack and Sandra. "Hello. I spoke to Steve. Brian is not well."

Sandra nodded. "Its not Brian missing work we are here about."

"No, its you." Jack smiled handing her a take away coffee. "We know what Brian is like, thought you would need a break." He stepped past her into the house.

"He has the flu and you have a bad heart."

"And we have an office that is out of bounds. Gerry and Steve in Glasgow and Jack and I have had our flu jab." Sandra smiled slightly as Esther ushered them into the kitchen.

"And no case?"

"Only what Gerry and Steve are working on in Glasgow. Apparently they are supposed to be helping Glasgow CID set up their version of UCOS. From what Gerry tells me it sounds more like this DCI MacDougal has got them doing her dirty work. Still it keeps them out of my hair for a week." Sandra smiled as Jack wandered into the living room to talk to Brian who had ensconced himself on the sofa with a duvet and soup. Scampy sat in his basket watching the men as they talked.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"How long are they up there?" Esther sat down with her coffee mug in one hand. She knew Sandra would be the last person to admit it but she missed having Gerry, Brian and Steve around. She watched as Sandra looked in her own mug. She knew that the younger woman had always considered the team as a surrogate family and whether she admitted it or not Sandra Pullman missed Gerry Standing.

"A week." Sandra looked up.

"Sandra?"

"Um?"

"Why are you here?"

"I said. Jack and I thought you might need a break."

"From Brian?"

"Yeah."

Esther laughed. "Oh I am used to him. He's a terrible patient. A really terrible patient. I know that. But I can deal with Brian. I have since I was twenty years old."

Sandra smiled. "He was a nightmare in the office yesterday. I sent him home because he was getting on my nerves. Him moaning and sniffing. Then it occurred to, well Jack that you were probably having to put up with a lot more than we were and since we have decorators getting under our feet I thought we could come and see if we could help."

Esther raised an eyebrow. "Do you miss him?"

"Brian?"

"No. Gerry." Esther watched as Sandra blushed. "Well? Do you miss him?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	2. Chapter 2

2\. Really?

Sandra placed the mug of tea back on the table as Esther watched her. She knew that she didn't like having her team split up. Brian being unwell couldn't be helped but having Steve and Gerry sent to Glasgow was not something she could say she was over the moon about. She had no idea what Esther was implying. Everyone knew when Gerry and Sandra first met they were not friends, now years later she really could not imagine UCOS or her life without him. She shook her head.

"Miss Gerry?"

"That's what I asked." Esther sipped her own drink. "I know you two argue like cat and dog but you do care about him. Its obvious how much he cares about you."

"We are friends." Sandra conceded as Esther raised an eyebrow.

"No. You and Jack are friends. You and Brian are friends. You and I are and I dare say you count Steve among your friends but its different with Gerry."

"Oh please." Sandra paused. "What are you saying?"

Esther shook her head once, knowing she had got under the detective's skin. Sandra had always been an intensely private woman but she had noticed her younger friend had been spending more and more time away from work with Gerry. He had always been over protective of her, something Sandra had initially put down to his age and being a sexist dinosaur. She sighed.

"I am saying." Esther paused. "That since you were abducted that time. Remember? That Sally woman."

"How could I forget." Sandra slumped down in her chair. Esther smiled sympathetically. She knew that Sandra had been through more than she would ever tell them. Intensely private and able to put up the strongest of walls was a talent Sandra Pullman had in spades. She sighed as Sandra waited for her to continue.

"All I am saying is, ever since then. No actually, before then. When you went scuba diving he has been over protective on you. He cares about you."

"He cares about the lads too. We both do."

"Yes." Esther agreed. "But what would happen if Gerry decides he likes Scotland? Wanted to stay?"

"He wont."

"You sound so sure. C'mon Sandra. Gerry wont stay up there because you are here."

"As are his daughters and ex-wives. Look, I dunno what you are saying."

"I am saying life is short. Very short. If you think of him as more than a friend. If." She raised her eyebrows as Sandra opened her mouth to protest. "Then tell him." She smiled as the mobile phone next to her mug started to ring. Esther tapped her hand before heading into the living room so that she could check on Brian while Sandra took her call.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well, the plan was they were going to help set up a Scottish version of UCOS. Help interview retired officers." Jack explained. Brian shrugged as Scampi jumped from the sofa to settle in his basket.

"But?"

"They've hit a snag, according to Steve. Seems they were called up there a week early. They've ended up working on an old murder case which, somehow is linked to a paedophile ring. Very nasty stuff."

"Sounds it." Brian drank his Lemsip, pulling a face as he did so. He glanced up as Esther entered the room. "You two are very quiet out there."

"Girl talk." Esther smiled. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"Now I am worried." Jack smiled. He knew Esther was as much part of the team as he was. She had been a police officer's wife all her adult life, she knew what they did and how they worked. At times it felt as if she was the sixth unofficial mentor to the whole team. He hoped whatever she had said to Sandra would be helpful, the Guv had been like a bear with a sore head since Strickland had sent two of her team to Scotland.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sandra paced the kitchen as she listened to the caller on the other end of the line. It seemed Gerry wanted to come home as much as she wanted him to. He was not sounding happy. For a moment Sandra couldn't help but feel relieved that he wanted to come back to London as soon as possible.

"Not enjoying the haggis and bagpipes?" She smiled slightly as Gerry explained just how much he was not enjoying the visit to Scotland. "The office is being decorated, so we are out of there for the next week anyway. Brian is off with the flu." She paused. "And Esther is being odd."

"ha." Gerry scoffed. "Lived with Brian for too long. Ow do you mean? Odd?"

"Asked me if I am missing having you and Steve here."

"And do you?" Gerry teased. He knew she would hate having any of the others work out that things had changed, that they weren't just friends and colleagues anymore.

"Just."

"Because I am missing you." Gerry paused as Sandra startled.

"Just get back here. And try not to mess up while you are there. You don't have me to get you out of trouble now." He laughed as she spoke.

"Ok, ok. But do you?"

"What?"

"Miss me, eh?"

"Yeah. A bit. Just get back ere in one piece without me having to cause a diplomatic incident." She snapped before ending the call.

xxxxxxxxxxx

a/n is anyone reading New Tricks fan fic anymore? Please review if you are. Only one chapter left


End file.
